For Want of an Elf
by Jueso
Summary: Small changes during the course of time lead to big changes in the future. What could have happened had one of the smallest heroes had died before his time. What would have happened had some letters gotten through during the summer after Harry's first year?


AN: Here's a new story idea that's been bugging me while I try to work through some writers block on my others. The story wil actually take place starting the summer after their fourth year with summerizations of ther previous years. Granted it won't be an original concept just a twist to an often used one.

Disclaimer: Many thanks to JK for letting us play around with her works.

**June 17, 1991, Malfoy Manor**

Lucius Malfoy sat in his study with a tumbler full of firewhiskey contemplating the current status quo. The Ministry was currently pushing for more raids on the word of Albus Dumbledore to find dark artifacts and The Muggle Protection Act was currently gaining steam. Lucious Malfoy did not like this, not one bit.

"You do not extend protection to beasts, they are ours to do what we will" he said softly to himself.

He had done what he could to try and stifle the new law but he saw a lost cause when he saw it. 'Too many proper families have lost their influence after the war. If not for our efforts Dumbledore would have that idiot Fudge convinced that breeding with the cattle was the only way to save the wizarding world.' he thought with a shiver. He and his comrades had managed to laugh the researcher out of the room but it had been a near thing.

"Now what to do..."

If Draco was to be believed something significant had happened at Hogwarts recently. The defense professor had inexplicably disappeared and several students had found their way to the hospital wing, the boy-who-lived among them. Lucious didn't believe in coincidences, he knew that whatever had transpired had led to Dumbledore's recent efforts but he didn't know how. Regardless, he would need to hide or sell his own stockpile of items before the aurors picked his home to search.

His influence with the Minister would practically guarantee that he would be overlooked until the end but he was sure they'd use any excuse to put him to task. He looked around the room and made a mental inventory of the other items in his home. He finished his drink and started walking around his study inspecting some items and making some quick appraisals.

"Most of these can probably be sold to Burgin and Burkes. What can't be sold can be hidden in some of the other properties. After coming up empty here I can convince Cornelius that further searches are nothing more than harassment and should be stopped"

He continued his inspection until he came across a certain nondescript book. The Dark Lord had given it to him before his downfall, impressing upon him the importance of its safekeeping. Just holding it with his bare hands made his skin crawl. He didn't know what it was, despite his research, but it was undoubtedly dark. Anyone handling it would be able to tell that immediately.

Suddenly an idea started to form.

"A fully grown mature wizard can tell the book is dark but a child..."

If The Dark Lord was still alive he wouldn't even consider it but with him gone...quickly, he made his way back to his desk to look at the agenda for the Ministry for the rest of the summer. Truthfully, he didn't even know what it would do but surely no good could come of it in the hands of a child. All he had to do was buy some time. The vote for the Muggle Protection Act wasn't until August.

"As things stand now, we can't stop the vote but we can delay it. We can request funding studies, impact estimations, and even quibble over resource allocations. That should buy us a year before it comes to vote."

"But who should get it..." he looked at the sponsors of the bill and considered his options. Diggory's youngest would be entering his fifth year. He would undoubtably be able to tell something was wrong with the book, perhaps not be able to tell just how dark it was but enough to perhaps bring it to the attention of his father upon its discovery.

He looked at the next name, Amelia Bones. He immediately disregarded her niece as an option. She was a strict guardian, often overheard detailing how she caught her niece doing this or that. Susan was undoubtably a good candidate to receive the book but he was positive that like Diggory, it would soon be discovered before any damage could be done.

The third name on the list definitely caught his interest. Arthur Weasley...seven children, with his youngest about to enter this fall, a girl if he wasn't mistaken. He considered the youngest son Ron...Draco described him as a lumbering buffoon but the company he kept would be problematic. The Potter boy was described as largely ignorant of the wizarding world but the girl Granger, she would be a problem. While she was described as an uppity know-it-all mudblood, Lucious was sure that her intellect would give her reason to have suspicions of the item and probably bring it to the attention of a professor.

After all, how could a family known for living galleon to galleon afford to get their youngest son an enchanted journal. If Draco's assessment was correct, it wouldn't matter as the young fool would loudly proclaim what he got to everyone within earshot.

The youngest though...seven older brothers, no sisters and if the rumors Narcissa hears are correct, completely doted on. While nothing she would have would be a hand-me-down, it would hardly be considered new. To finally have something new that none of her siblings had, she'd probably guard it jealously.

"And when they finally realize that something is wrong, it will probably be too late. Imagine the embarrassment, the daughter of one of the sponsors caught with an extremely dark object, recklessly endangering purebloods and mudbloods alike. He'd lose credibility, probably his useless office, and would singlehandedly kill his precious bill's chances to come to fruition…and to have it happen in Hogwarts...I might be able to finally have that old fool removed from the school"

His excitement was bubbling, opportunities like this were precious and had to be executed very carefully. Not even Narcissa could be told.

"Yes, Draco may possibly be in danger but the girl would be in another year group and more than likely in Gryffindor. His exposure to her would be minimal. If Narcissa knew though, she would most likely overreact, pull him from Hogwarts expose the entire plan and draw attention to the family. No, she must not know."

He heard to bell toll alerting him to someone arriving via floo, Narcissa from her weekly meeting with some of the other mothers of high society. Going back to his desk to put the papers away he noticed his refilled tumbler.

'Dobby' he realized.

He normally would have disregarded the elf. The elf was bound to the family and thus could not endanger them but he had obviously come in and he had no idea just how much the elf had heard. Coming to a decision he called for the elf.

"Yes Master? Yous called for Dobby?" the small elf asked, wringing his hands in nervousness.

"Yes Dobby, stay still"

Dobby tilted his head at the strange command only to widen his eyes in shock at the next words spoken.

"Avada Kedavra!"

The green spell splashed against Dobby's chest, throwing him backwards and leaving him staring at the ceiling with the same look of shock locked in. Satisfied that all loose ends were covered he strode out to meet his wife.

"Narcissa," he called out "be a dear and floo Laskander's to arrange for a new elf before dinner, Dobby will no longer be serving us." He walked past her confused face as he continued to put the details together on just how to deliver the book to the youngest Weasley

**June 24, 1991, Privet Drive**

Harry had gotten his first spark of good news. He was getting worried when he saw that his uncle had essentially turned his room into a prison. Luckily, there was enough space for Hedwig to fit through. He didn't dare include his new living arrangements out of fear it get back to his uncle and he react poorly.

However, one of his best friends had just responded with a brilliant idea. Knocking on his door he called for his uncle, hoping to reach him before he left for work that morning.

"Stop that racket! What do you want boy?!" Vernon bellowed.

Harry slid the letter through the flap of the door to Vernon's feet. Hearing his uncle start to lean down to pick it up he decided to, hopefully, give his uncle a good idea.

"A friend from school wrote to me, how would you like me to be gone for two weeks at the start of July?" Harry asked with a hopeful tone.

Vernon didn't respond, just giving a pensive grunt. Harry heard him turn to walk back down the stairs and a smile erupted on his face. After all these years Harry had become something of an expert on his families mannerisms. The grunt and quite walk was typical when Vernon liked the idea was considering if there were any obvious negative aspects that would immediately come back to him.

Harry walked to his closet to get ready to complete his chores, thoughts of his bushy haired friend on the forefront of his mind.

**AN:** Thanks for reading


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